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Category Archives: STEM

This action project included researching a glacier, and then creating a campaign to raise awareness about the issue of melting glaciers. I researched Exit Glacier in Alaska. This glacier is a very popular tourist attraction. With it melting, however, it might not be there much longer for tourists to enjoy. For my action project, I made a slide rocket presentation about the effects of melting glaciers, and what we can do to help slow the process. I am very proud of this project, and having come up with ideas to help with a current, ongoing issue is really special to me. I learned that glacial movement is natural, however global warming is speeding up the movement process. I was inspired to take action in many ways, and not only with regard to glaciers. If I see a campaign for a cause that I find important, I will do what I am able to in order to help. When it comes to the melting glaciers, I will carpool to minimize my use of fuel, and use as many reusable items as possible. This action project has changed and enlarged my views, and I hope that my presentation makes a difference.

This action project is all about climate change and how we contribute to it. I made a Slide Rocket presentation explaining how society contributes to the climate changes, and how they are affecting the earth. The point of my Slide Rocket is to inform people about what is happening to the Earth, and encourage them to take action to prevent further negative changes. I am proud of all the research I did in order to create this presentation, and make it as accurate as it could be. I learned about all the different aspects that are involved in climate change, as well as how impactful extreme weather can be. Even if you are not in the extreme weather at the moment it occurs, it still has an impact on you. Learning about climate change inspired me to do my best to reduce my carbon footprint. I will carpool as well as utilize reusable items, such as water bottles and Tupperware containers. Finally, I will donate to organizations helping with extreme poverty, as well as those helping people suffering after natural disasters and extreme weather.

The purpose of this action project was to test 5 different water samples and determine their pH level. The pH level is what defines whether a solution is acidic or basic. This is determined on a scale of 1-14, 7 being neutral. The purpose of doing this was to see which water sample was safest to drink. Another aspect of this project was noticing that certain types of water that you think were neutral were actually more acidic than you would have expected. I am proud of the fact that I did this experiment, and am proud of everything I learned about water and its pH levels. I learned that bottled water is not the best drinking water, as it is actually more acidic than tap water. Bottled water had a pH level of 5, whereas tap water had a pH level of 6. The best drinking water has a pH level of 7. I was surprised that bottled water had the same pH level as the Bioluminescent Bay in Puerto Rico, since the Bio Bay is filled with microorganisms and has not been through the cleansing process that bottled water has. This was finding was quite unexpected!

This project was about understanding the water cycle, and seeing it in action. I wrote a lab report explaining my experiment and everything I did in order to make it work. This whole process was important because when performing an experiment, you need to be able to take it apart piece by piece and explain why you did what you did. The experiment itself was important because it can help people better understand weather patterns the relationship between those weather patterns and water. I am proud of everything I did this unit. I performed an experiment in my own home and then was able to explain why I did each thing that I did. I am also proud of my understanding of the material in this unit. I learned that water can change from gas to solid without going through the liquid phase. I still do not understand how this is possible, but I learned that it happens through deposition.
This unit inspired me to learn more about water. I find it interesting how water gets to us, and then circulates throughout the world. Water is something I am definitely interested in learning more about in the future.

In Distribution, the last unit of the Fuel course, the assignment was to create a presentation that illustrated our assessment of an environmental disaster and recommendations as a design engineer. I chose to investigate the Exxon Valdez oil spill. There is a huge demand for oil around the world. It is transported thousands of miles to get to our gas stations. If there was not such a huge demand for oil, Exxon Valdez wouldn’t have spilled as much oil as it did. Thus, it would not have caused as much damage. The environmental disaster could have easily been avoided if certain safety measures had been taken. Before sending the ship out to see, it is important to check to see that the ship’s radar is in working condition. A thorough inspection of the ship must be done to see that everything is working properly. In the case of an emergency, it is important for all of the crew members to be alert in order to act quickly in such a circumstance.

In this Action Project we had to make a video to show what we have learned by being an energy consultant. I chose Bob as my client, who lives in Chicago and needs to know the variables to consider and how much it will cost him to heat his home to his ideal temperature. I learned a whole lot from this Unit and thought it was very interesting. We also had to chose an E-producing resource (I chose natural gas) which is what Bob uses to heat his home.

In pollution, the third unit of the Fuel course, the assignment was to write a research paper on the benefits and drawbacks of a pollutant. In the process of writing my paper, I learned several components that constitute a good scientific paper. It is organized by various subheadings such as the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, which help the reader to follow the content better. It is very helpful for the reader to have a visual representation of a concept. One must adhere to the guidelines that the teacher has provided for the research paper. It is crucial that they fulfill every guideline so points are not deducted from their work.

I found it quite helpful to write out the pros and cons of carbon dioxide on a concept map. I made logical connections between the information that I gathered. I then categorized this information into how it impacts humans and the environment negatively and positively. This map helped me to narrow down the focus of my research paper to the effects that carbon dioxide has on the environment.

The unit has inspired me to take steps toward reducing my carbon footprint. The biggest step that I can take toward being eco-friendly is by conserving the amount of energy that I use. I need to take fewer plane flights, because they emit a lot of CO2 directly into the atmosphere. I should avoid planes and vehicles as much as I can. Instead, I should walk or bike to my destinations whenever it is possible. I need to turn off my air conditioning and/or heater when I am not in the house. Human activities have greatly contributed to elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We need to learn to be better stewards of this earth if we want it to sustain human life for many years to come.

In Energy, the second unit of the Fuel course, the assignment was to make a tutorial video for a client about the resource that we chose to investigate. The purpose of the action project was to show my understanding of variables that need to be taken into account when heating or cooling an environment. It was also designed to show my ability to perform calculations on energy usage and the cost of an energy source.

The energy source that I chose to investigate was coal. There are several ways that one can decrease energy usage and its cost. It is very important to have a home that is well insulated so one does not lose heat. By having a smaller house, less heat is required to heat one’s home. If the home receives sunlight, less heat is needed. This is because the sun’s rays penetrate through the home through windows, generating warmth.

Since I did not have access to my electricity bills, I chose to analyze a bill from the Internet. I was surprised by how expensive electricity costs. By saving on the amount of electricity that one uses, one is killing two birds with one stone. One is saving money on their bill. Furthermore, one is making a step towards being more eco-friendly.

The purpose of this action project was to understand the distribution process of an energy source, in my case, oil. It was also about explaining flaws and mistakes in the distribution process, and how they could have been prevented. The biggest takeaway from the Exxon Valdez oil spill is gaining an understanding of the complexity of oil distribution. So much oil is used to transport oil elsewhere. This seems pointless, as you use the same amount of oil that you transport, so is anything gained? I know, however, that oil needs to be transported to gas stations and across the globe. Three safety measures I learned were to always have the ship’s radar on in open water, always have some type of communication system between all the ship’s crew members, and make the crew is sober so they can perform their important jobs to the best of their ability.

There are many different components that are required when writing a good and effective research paper. I have learned that you need many different parts, including an introduction, body paragraphs, graphs and images, and a conclusion. You also need to explain everything logically and clearly, so that someone reading

the paper who may not necessarily be familiar with the subject will be able to understand what I am saying, and follow the paper.

I found the concept map very helpful. It was a great way to organize my thoughts for my paper. I found something that is related between my pros and cons, and divided all 16 pros and cons into four sections. These sections were great guidelines for my paragraphs, and they helped me find common ground between similar pros and cons.

This unit has inspired me to try to lower my carbon footprint. I will work on lowering the miles that I drive every week, will try to carpool when I can, and will possibly get a car that gets more miles per gallon than my current car. I can also consider using more efficient energy source in order to heat and cool my house, and will continue a home’s energy source when looking at houses in the future . I also can recycle more, and use a water bottle rather than bottled water. Finally, I will unplug appliances when I am not using them, and turn off the lights when I am not in a room.